Round and Round the Pavements
by ravenheartlim
Summary: AU. He's the famous underground dealer... She- the officer hell bet on catching him. When given the greatest opportunity to finally capture him, will she be able to complete the mission?


_If I lay here... If I just lay here... Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_ _-Chasing Cars_

* * *

His frozen metallic blue eyes traced her form... night black hair sticking on flushed skin. Sweat adorned her creased forehead.

She moaned and began to stir...

The man had expertly tied both of her hands at her back, so that she couldn't do anything stupid. Her feet are also in similar state. Of course, after days of playing tag and hide and seek with her, he came to realize that given the freedom, time and place, she would gladly, and most likely catch him.

Slowly, both heavy lids unhooded her eyes, revealing a pair of stubborn, indifferent dark gray orbs. They stared back at him... unblinking... undecipherable...

"Good... It seems you've finished dreaming, Ms. Officer", he said in a monotone.

Mikasa Ackerman groaned. How she wanted to run her hands soothingly on her aching head, but she had figured out as soon as she woke up that the said parts of her body were bound. So, she settled on another therapy... she gave the rotten midget her most acidic glare.

"Don't give me that fucking glare... you couldn't blame me. I mean, if I let you on freely, I'll be on great disadvantage", the older man shrugged. He got up from kneeling position.

Mikasa's gaze roamed around...

The whole place is dimly lighted. Perhaps _Levi_ is considerate enough to turn on only a few lights because she's 'sleeping'. Her olfactory sense could detect the scent of lemon, detergent and cleanliness. She could not be mistaken. As she took in and processed the whole place, she hypothesized that this man likes to keep everything in a hauntingly clean, neat and simple fashion.

"Clean freak midget..." she muttered under her breath.

His head whipped back instantly, an eyebrow raised. "What did you say?" He blurted.

"I will not repeat myself for an irksome shorty like you", she snapped back.

"Tch... undisciplined brat..."

"Says the midget of an underground dealer."

* * *

Ever since their first chase, the the two know that their whole life is destined for an all out antagonism towards each other. Mikasa stands on an almost similar level with Levi... The veteran underground dealer is highly aware of this. And maybe, JUST MAYBE, he's bothered by this fact. The girl is nearly 15 years his junior, but she ran on par with him whilst the other officers fell back in no more that ten minutes. He could also feel a strong killing intent reserved **only** for him. Sweet... just sweet.

Levi doesn't know what got into him... He couldn't decipher the reason why he risked being arrested in the future... the reason why he brought the unconcious young lady in his abode. Maybe it was humility...

* * *

Mikasa Ackerman is not that of a tedious company. She kept silent and expressionless most of the time... ate when given food... notified him when she needs to attend to _private matters... _three days have passed, and gradually Levi grew to trust her enough to undo her ropes. He knows well that keeping her bound would only hinder her recovery from that nasty fall. Still, she kept silent... and for some unknown reason, she did not try anything stupid.

One time, he came home to find that dinner's ready on the table... Nothing fancy. But it does smell good... female homecooking.

"Don't worry. It's not poisoned", she said silently, taking a bite to affirm her statement.

He grunted then took a seat. _It does taste_ good...

They relished on the silent comfort aroind them. She's not loquacious... he doesn't feel like talking... And her making dinner became a silent agreement between them. He bought her clothes (even underwear). Afterall, he couldn't have her going around the house nearly naked. Levi endured the admiring looks the sales ladies had given him... ignored the older ladies' remarks about their own husbands' similarly sweet gestures. Him? The brat of an officer's husband ? Hah! That was the most amusing thing he has ever heard.

He didn't let her know...

* * *

A week passed by...

She made it a hobby to clean around. Surprisingly, she could clean as good as Levi could. Mikasa, however, chose not to clean his bedroom. It would be concidered trespassing. Not once is she able to go inside.

It's funny. Them, the officer and the criminal..? _Playing house_?

One night, Levi told her that if she thinks she's already well enough to leave, he would gladly take her to the place where she fainted. Blindfolded though.

"Thanks..." Mikasa mumbled. "Don't worry. I'll try to forget about this place."

"I think, I should thank you for that... brat."

She didn't know what got into her... But even though she's already well enough to move around or even punch conciousness out of a man, she decided not to leave yet.

* * *

Two weeks passed...

She's like a housewife now... a refreshing way out of her dangerous work as a police officer.

Her decision not to leave yet proved to be right.

It was a seemingly normal rainy night when the irksome midget came back home- all soaked with a gaping incision running from his chest down to his abs. Aside from that, he has minor concussions and a bullet wound on his left arm. She froze at the sight right before her... she thought he's invulnerable.

"Tch... don't lo-look like a carp... brat..." he stammered.

This snapped her out of her reverie. She ran towards the cupboard then pulled out towels. She almost dragged him onto the couch, where she managed to make him sit between hoards of protests.

With her nimble fingers, she stripped him off of his shirt...

"Shit..." she cursed under her breath. "You should have gone to the hospital..."

"Tch. Are you an idiot?"

And that made her remember that he couldn't. She sighed then proceeded to retrieve the materials needed to extract the bullet and stitch him up.

Mikasa grimaced as Levi bit his lip all along. He's just human afterall and there's no anesthesia...

After the long and painful process of mending him, she's able to breathe normally. She had to keep him awake all through out. There was too much blood and she couldn't risk him drifting off to his death. She dressed his wounds, wiped him dry, made him change clothes then gave him painkillers.

It's the first time she is able to step into his room...

As she helped him lie down, she caught a word slipping out of his mouth that sounded suspeciously like "Thank you".

* * *

Mikasa nursed him back to health... which required her to go out occasionally to buy food and other stuffs.

"Why didn't you escape yet?" Levi asked while she's changing his bandages.

"Well... you're currently in a useless state. Did you expect me to leave you here to die?" He didn't respond. "Guess you did. This is how I show my gratitude, Levi."

That was the first time she called him by his name. It had always been "midget" or "shorty" or "chibi"... Somehow, it made him flinch. Her pronounciation sounded foreign to his ears... foreignly beautiful.

"Merci..." he said.

It was foreign in her ears... and he adored that fact secretly.

* * *

After a few days, he stopped bleeding... few more days and he's as good as new.

Mikasa barged into his room without knocking... he's in the middle of rummaging through his closet for a fresh shirt.

"Hey short- what the hell are you doing?!" She set down the tray of food then marched towards him. "You should not get up yet."

"Tch... I'm not a fucking invalid, officer..." Levi managed to pull out the item he was searching for.

"And don't stay shirtless for a long period of time. We still don't know if your inhumane resistance is back."

"I know... I know... that's the very reason why I was searching for a damn shirt."

"Whatever..." she grabbed the shirt then proceeded to dress him herself.

Levi smirked, "Are you that eager to stare at me naked upclose?"

"It's not even interesting..." and she did keep a straight face all through out. He frowned when shr was not looking.

* * *

A month passed...

There's this dangerously growing fondness between the two of them. He yearned for her unknowingly... her soft, vibrant night-like tresses and sharp quicksilver orbs... But the cruel, masochistic side of him says otherwise. Mikasa could tell there's something more... something that surpasses the frozen 36th parallel of crisp, pristine shirt- a said something that was locked beneath thevfolds of his cravat, giftwrapped by his stubborn, incorrigable pride then tied with a string of unwavering lies.

She would satisfy her unquenchable curiousity.

It is curiousity that killed the cat though...

His yearning drove him off the edge; and her curiousity made her take the leap.

He kissed her...

She kissed back...

There was hunger... and thirst- great thirst. Even as they liplocked, their growing competition still didn't disappear. They fought for dominance... but that kiss is the kind that his homeland may have been famous of. It would be a shame for him to lose...

and so, he did win.

Their mouths parted... too breathless to speak... too pleasure-drowned to breathe...

"Your... your stiches..." Mikasa managed to make out those three words between pants.

"Fuck them..."

He drew her again... this time, exploring her anatomy other than the mouth...

* * *

_J'adore..._

He wrote on her bare skin... and she pretended not to know.

_Jet'a-_

Levi froze midway. His index finger trembled...

Mikasa squeezed her eyes... and she willed herself to ignore the fact that she knows well the next letters.

_"Aishitteru mo..."_ her traitorous lips replied... and he pretended not to remember.

_This is just a dream... a faux pax... dreams end and eventually, we have to wake up._

* * *

Three months passed...

His activities are unstoppable. No one's chasing after him anymore.

Deep inside him, he feels empty. There's something missing.

He made up his mind... he'll quit and return to his homeland.

On his last night, he exited the dingy pub where he accomplished his final deal. The moon shone brightly... basking everything with its pale silverish glow. Levi couldn't help but conpare the moon here and the moon back in Paris... With that, he shoved his hands into his pockets. He decided to take a little detour on the rooftops.

He ran and leapt from one building to another with ease. It's just like back then... but now, he's the only one and no bratty officer is chasing him.

Suddenly, the French froze.

This is the the place... the place where Mikasa fell. He sucked in the frosty night breeze for the last time before disappearing into the dark.

... and he woke up from that beautiful nightmare.

_Fine._

* * *

Hey there!

Raven Heart here... phew. Finally, I finished typing this after weeks of college adjustment. So guys, what do you think? Reviews please. This is my late RivaMika week publish! Belated RivaMika week everyone! Anyway, please give feedback if you want this thing to become a series. Thanks.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SNK! TTATT


End file.
